Premiere Vision. 21st – 23rd September 2005.

 

Premiere Vision. 21^st – 23^rd September 2005.    

  

Premiere Vision took place between 21^st-23^rd September in Paris. All week I had been building up my research to prepare me for what I am looking for in terms of fabric and new suppliers.

 

Eurostar was very comfortable, and quick. France and the UK have a stereotype of not getting on, but I found the French people very welcoming and helpful. Getting to the actual venue was a nightmare. French trains are overfilled, hot, and confusing. I had to keep my cool. I found it calming just to keep quiet, and figure things out for myself. And it worked. After arriving at Parc de Exposition, Paris I {mosimage}noticed the event was split into different halls.

  

Each hall represented different types of fabrics, i.e. Woollens, Jersey, Denim, etc. To be honest when I first looked at all the halls from a distance I thought ‘oh my god, what have I let myself in for’. But I had arrived and there was no turning back. And the advantages you receive if you are a new design label were amazing. In my case it was free entry to all sections of Premiere Vision. You really do need to know what you are after for your collection. It helped to have a clearer idea of my exact requirements.

 

{mosimage}At first I was daunted by the prospect of going from booth to booth. But the elimination process soon became manageable in terms of whom maybe similar to another company and did I really need to go to an identical company selling the same type of fabric. I spent up to 8 hours whilst there, and what a day.

Having had the experience of the Turkish Fabric Exhibition in London behind me, I was confident in approaching suppliers.

 

I was mainly looking for European suppliers, and Premiere Vision was heaving with them. The Italians were so classy, chic, and polite. They wanted to know about me and my label, where I sell, and also my plans for my collection. I was giving them my themes of my collection and they were guiding me and showing me fabric samples. I have new found mutual respect for them. With offers of free champagne, and complimentary sweets and yes you were even allowed to smoke even though I’m a non-smoker it felt like I was amongst fashion royalty.

 

{mosimage}I saw the drama queens and their kings pottering around with chic notebooks and the latest designer looks! There were buyers from all over the world including Japan, Italy, and USA all donned in suits and the sharpest tailored ensemble of buyers I have ever seen. I believe most of the buyers were from the major labels and the high street. I was very privileged to be amongst them. One thing I did notice was how male dominated this event was. I thought it was an urban myth that men are rubbish at shopping, but at Premiere Vision the guys were selecting fabric and talking about fabric like they would if they were at home with a bunch of lads watching the footie!! And yes they were men, with deep accents like Barry White!!

 

Absolutely remarkable! But I was here for business and introduce my ‘Emure’ label to a global clientele which can do no harm for any business.

I ordered fabric samples from all over the world. And speaking the basic languages like French, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese helped to break the ice with the suppliers. Okay that’s a lie, just saying hello and goodbye in all the languages mentioned sure brought in a few smiles. At least I was trying and getting to know the suppliers more personally.

 

{mosimage}You know me; I can talk for Great Britain! I think I made some new business associates just by being respectful, polite, and knowing what I wanted and when. And being knowledgeable about fabric and the various types is always a bonus too.

 

Once I placed the orders I fully asked every supplier their ordering and shipping terms, and this is good to know as you have to be fully aware of when to expect the samples and make sure the delivery runs smoothly in conjunction with your design and production schedule. And having a price indication was very useful. Mostly everyone dealt in Euros, but some companies did deal in Dollars. My initial thought of being a small label and that no supplier would work with me was soon diminished, but they always welcome new customers and want to build a solid business relationship.

 

{mosimage}There were also stands from all the major trend prediction companies such as Promostyl. And this was very useful as the trends displayed were geared for A/W 2006/07. Very good strategy I say. And also embroidery, trimmings, and fabric manufacturing companies too. So no matter what your requirement, it was easily met and dealt with.

 

I personally recommend this event to every fashion label. The next event will be in February 2006 and will showcase Spring/Summer 2007 fabric collections. See www.premierevision.fr for further details. I learned a lot from this event, and I’m sure you will too.

 

{mosimage}After the event had finished it was time to head back home to London, but as I was stuck in the middle of a chaotic train journey, and suspended services I missed my last Eurostar train home. I had to stay over in Paris for one night only. The hotels were close to Gard de Nord, Paris, so that really helped. It was muggy, and the air wasn’t as clear and clean as I had hoped, but this is Paris. I went for a little walk and the vibe on the street was very energetic. It felt great to be here in this city, and just being in the same place where the likes of McCartney, and McQueen love to show their latest collections during fashion week made it even better.

 

With Milan fashion week coming to an end and Paris to follow suit, the coming few weeks look promising.

Keep pinned to my next diary for further fashion week reviews and of course what life is like at the house of ‘Emure’.

  

Until next time.xx.

 

By Munib Ur-Rehman of ‘Emure’ Womenswear.

www.emurefashion.com. rayemure@yahoo.co.uk.